What's Imprinting?
by tepichi08
Summary: Continuation of Breaking Dawn, Renesmee is now 17 and has learned about Jacob's imprint, and his relationship with her mother. What happens now? Will the Volturi return?
1. Chapter 1

_The story takes place two years after the end of Breaking Dawn, Renesmee has appeared to reach the age of seventeen and the story is told from her point of view._

"This sucks," I muttered. I had been exploring the depths beneath my bed in a feeble attempt to clean up my "pigsty of a room" before my parents came back from their hunting trip. It was either that or they would ground me for the duration of their next stay. It was ridiculous actually, considering that my parents looked the same age as I did. Heck, I might even begin to look older than them soon, I'm not entirely sure when I'll stop aging and it's driving them crazy, I can tell. They refused to leave my side for that extended periods of time because my aging process was unpredictable and consented to hunt only after Carlisle's insisting they didn't 'overdo it'. They wanted me to come, but my hunting intervals were longer than theirs because I could also survive on human food so I just wasn't thirsty. Rosalie promised to record any memorable moments for them.

I don't know big deal is about the 'teenage years' though. Six months ago, I was thirteen and my mom had to give me an explanation of "body changes" that was extremely uncomfortable. I think the worst part of it was when I could hear dad chuckle every time he heard me thinking about it. Mom shielded me most of the time from his ability, but she couldn't do it 24/7 and I wouldn't ask her to either. It was a relief when Rosalie realized what was going on and let me sleep over at the main house. Alice apologized for not realizing it earlier, but I couldn't blame her; it was my own DNA that prevented her from having clearer visions of me. Sometimes she was a smart aleck about it though. I asked her earlier when I'd be done cleaning my room and she told me she could only see if when actually decided to do it.

Even without trying to smell everything, I realized that the bottom of my bed had become a small wasteland of unwanted and forgotten things. It was cluttered with old toys, clothes I had grown out of, which happened a lot, and souvenirs from trips and family vacations that I had shoved under the bed unceremoniously as soon as I had gotten home. On the front lines of the mess was a pair of dusty light blue knitted socks that my friend's dad had given me for Christmas. Behind them were key chains and refrigerator magnets with misspellings of my name (I had been so frustrated with the gift shops, Renesmee is a perfectly normal name, I think), old Barbie and Ken dolls that had belonged to my mother that grandpa Charlie gave me, an old shoe and things like that.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a pair of ski goggles smashed on one side, probably the ones I used during last winter's Cullen family ski trip. As I pushed aside an old jewelry box to try and grab the goggles, I felt a cool metal pressed hard at the tip of my index finger. I grabbed the top of the knife, yanked it out and looked at my hand; it was unharmed. Luckily, one of the benefits of being part-vampire was having impermeable skin, albeit it being kind of pale and glowing a bit in direct sunlight.

I looked around my room again and sighed. My closet was a complete mess; there were more clothes on my bed and the floor than in the closet because I never felt the need to wash them due to the amount of clothes Alice kept giving me. I loved my aunt dearly, but her need to shop was beyond supernatural.

The desk was completely cluttered with loose papers and old school worksheets that my mom and dad threw onto the pile before they left. They said if I stopped aging soon, I'd have to go through high school at least once so I should practice writing worksheets and stuff, which I finished in minutes and threw back onto my desk. I couldn't even see the laptop Carlisle and Esme had given me anymore. Then, of course, there was the jungle underneath my bed. It was time to call for reinforcements. I reached over the dirty clothes pile and grabbed my new blackberry phone that my dad had given me with his number already programmed on speed dial. I ignored that and dialed the Black residence.

"Hello?" answered a groggy voice.

"Jake?" I asked.

"Yeah. Nessie?" he asked sluggishly.

"Yeah it's me. Can you come over today?"

"Why are you awake? It's seven in the morning."

"My parents went hunting so they woke me up before they left and told me to clean my room. Can you help?"

"Hell no," he responded immediately, "I'm not going anywhere near that toxic wasteland." I could almost hear him grinning on the other side of the phone.

"Please, please, my parents won't let me come over anymore if it's not clean by tomorrow!"

"Haha that doesn't sound like Bella," he laughed. "Must be the bl—I mean, your dad."

"Maybe."

"You want me to come right now?"

"Yeah," I answered, smiling, "Just throw on some cleaning clothes and get over here."

"Fine, but you have to make me breakfast. I want pancakes and bacon."

"Deal." I punched my fist victoriously into the air. I already smelled some pancakes sitting in the microwave for me, courtesy of Rosalie. Even though she didn't eat human food, she made sure I had enough, though she might not be happy about giving some to the 'mutt.'

'I'll be there in ten."

"Okay, bye." I hung up the phone as I heard Alice's light footsteps coming towards my room. I cursed in my head, knowing she'd hear me if I did it aloud. She gracefully walked in, not surprised to see me unsurprised.

"Hey kiddo," she greeted me innocently in her sing-song voice. "I saw you hadn't really started cleaning your room. I thought I'd help."

"Dad told you not to leave me alone with Jake right?" I asked without looking up. Lately this had been happening whenever I wanted to hang out with Jacob. Because of her inability to see the future of werewolves, Alice would see my future disappear and then she'd instantly appear next to me.

"You're a smart one," she laughed.

"What's he bribing you with this time?"

"I saw him giving me a very expensive handbag exclusively sold in India."

I sighed. "Couldn't you just get it yourself?"

"Yes, but it's just lovely when Edward gets me presents," she smiled with blindingly gorgeous white teeth. "But enough about that, Jacob's here."

As if on cue, Rosalie called up the stairs, "Nessie, the mutt's here! Get him upstairs before he stinks up the place!"

"Hey Blondie," I heard Jake say, "Why does it take so long to make a blonde snowman?"

I groaned.

"Because you have to hollow out the head!" he finished, laughing. I heard the sound of crushing metal and I immediately ran downstairs to try and save the life of my best friend.

Page 2 of 2


	2. Chapter 2

"Where do you even get these jokes from?" I asked exasperatedly as I removed the last piece of the metal sticking out of Jacob's arm. Rosalie had taken apart the stair railing and used Jacob as a werewolf dartboard. By the time I got downstairs Jasper had already calmed her down and she was sitting on the couch with Emmett. Jacob's arm on the other hand was a bloody mess, yet he looked up at me smiling like he always did.

"Mostly from Leah. When we phase she constantly hears me thinking of more and gives some input." He grinned, taking off his t-shirt to wipe the blood off of his arm as my eyes distractedly breezed over his extremely toned abs for the first time. I caught myself in the act and shook my head to rid myself of the strange thoughts.

"Aw, it's okay Nessie," laughed Alice, mistaking my head shake for a different emotion. She jumped on my bed and flipped open a magazine. "She wasn't going to kill him."

"Sure she wasn't," I muttered sarcastically. Jacob finished cleaning off his arm and put it around my shoulders, giving impression of a huge blanket wrapping around me due to his constant temp of 108. I felt a weird sensation in my stomach, like it was dropping. I looked down curiously; I never had this feeling before.

"Hey, it's not like Blondie could kill me that quickly," he said jokingly. "By the time she got close, you or Leah would probably stop her, right?"

"Don't count on it," I laughed, smacking him on the face a bit too hard.

"Ouch!" His hand flew to his nose as he started to bleed.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" I exclaimed apologetically.

"S'okay," he replied as he wiped the blood with his already stain t-shirt. I didn't even look up at Alice. She didn't have much of a problem resisting his blood. "I just had déjà vu. Would you believe Bella tried to punch me in the face when she was still human?"

"I believe you," I laughed touching his warm face and showing him a replay of my mom lunging for his throat when I was a baby. He flinched at the memory.

"Man, I thought I was a goner," he remembered. "She was gonna kill me for sure."

"What happened when she punched you though?"

"She broke her hand."

I laughed harder.

"Poor mom. Why'd she try to punch you?"

For a moment Jacob looked very uncomfortable and Alice giggled from behind her magazine.

"Uh, no reason," he said quickly, running his fingers through his short black hair. I raised my eyebrows.

"What do you ---?" I started to say before I saw Alice suddenly look towards the window and then turn to me.

"You better start cleaning your room sweetie," she warned. "They'll be back in twelve minutes, eight if Bella decides to make it a race."

"Dammit!" I swore.

"Watch your language!" I heard Rosie say from downstairs.

I jumped up and pulled Jake's arm. "We need to clean NOW!"

"Okay, don't go all vampire on me." I rolled my eyes.

Jake and I managed to clear off the desk and sort the stuff under the bed into baskets Alice had set outside my room earlier while she quickly reorganized my closet. Every so often I'd hear her mutter angrily "Same sense of fashion as her mother…" as she swiftly picked clothes up off of the floor. When we finished there was a notable difference. The room looked even more spacious and, well, _clean._

"With five seconds to spare," Alice smiled as she looked around the room.

"Nice. Can I have my pancakes now?" asked Jacob as we heard the front door open.

"Renesmee!" my mother called. "Is that Jacob with you?"

"Yeah, he's up there, I can smell the wet dog odor," I heard my dad say, growling. "Nice job with the stair railing, Rosalie."

We all walked downstairs as my dad tossed a plastic bag up to Alice, who caught it and smiled. I gave her a look before I ran to hug my parents; I did miss mom, my dad, however, had things to make up for. I squeezed my mom tightly and smelled a mixed odor of deer and grass.

"It's actually elk," corrected my dad. I shot an angry thought at him and touched my mom's face to show her how he had bribed Alice to watch me.

"Edward!" she glared at him. A mischievous smile formed on his face, then a frown as mom shielded him from my thoughts.

"Hey Bells, how you been?" greeted Jake.

"Great. I'm not thirsty anymore, that's for sure," mom replied. Jake looked a bit disgusted.

"Keep your thoughts to yourself, dog," said dad.

"Get outta my head, bloodsucker," he shot back.

"Believe me, I would like nothing more than to no longer hear the thoughts of a stinking mutt."

"That's _enough_," my mom interrupted sternly. "Renesmee, why don't you and Jacob go run around outside while we change?"

"Maybe play fetch," my dad suggested. I ignored him.

"Alright," I agreed. I pulled Jake behind me as I headed out the sliding glass doors.

"Last one to the spot is a rotten egg," he challenged as he ran off for a head start to phase, the cheater. I ran after him, watching as he began to change, closing my eyes as he kicked off his pants and tied them to his leg. We raced to our favorite open field, away from any trails or humans, and, after he put his jeans back on, lay next to each other on the grass, though neither of us was out of breath after running the entire five miles.

"I won." He turned to me and smiled widely. My heart skipped a beat. There it was again, a strange, longing emotion.

"No way," I laughed. "You got here a second after I did."

"That was because I had to put on my pants!"

"It still counts."

"Let's just call it a tie then."

"Whatever." I gave up and crawled over to him, putting my head on his warm shoulder and my arm over his stomach. I closed my eyes as he stroked my hair gently. I wondered if I should ask him about the strange sensations I've been having. I didn't want him to make fun of me, but he usually didn't when I told him about things that concerned the new things I was experiencing.

"Hey Jake," I asked as I opened my eyes and looked up at him.

"Yeah?"

"What does it mean when you look at some one and have weird tingling in your stomach and your heart suddenly gets faster or stops for a moment?" I blurted out.

He stopped stroking my hair. His eyes widened for a moment, and then he coughed and sat up, looking the other direction.

"Well, is there only one person that makes your stomach, uh, tingle?" he asked, still facing the other direction.

"Yeah," I replied, sitting up next to him.

"Is it a boy?"

"Yeah." A long silence followed. Did he know the answer? Why didn't he just tell me? I waited silently.

"Who is it?" he finally asked.

"You, actually," I told him. He quickly turned to face me. "It only happened today, but I thought it was weird. Is there something wrong with me?"

He reached out his long arms to pull me closer and stroked my cheek with his other hand. I think he could feel my racing heartbeat through my back. I could hardly breath as I looked at him, his eyes burning like I'd never seen them.

"No," he said grinning as he brought his face closer to mine. "There's definitely nothing wrong with you."

Our lips touched, his mouth fitting perfectly to mine. I knew what a kiss was because my parents did it frequently, though it is certainly different from this point of view. I asked them why they did it and they said it was a way of silently telling the other person that they loved them.

He was saying that he loved me? Did I love him back? I thought of the times as a child that he had cared for me and was always there when I wanted him to be. He always played when I wanted to play, talked when I wanted to talk and never asked for anything in return.

Now with his lips on mine, I could tell he was asking for something. When I didn't move he pulled back and looked at my face, asking. Did I love him too? I put my arms around his neck and pulled him back to me. I loved him too.

All too soon, the moment was gone when I felt him suddenly jerk back. I opened my eyes in time to see his body flying across the field and crash hard into a tree. I looked behind me, bewildered, and saw my father crouched low, his teeth bared and extremely furious.

Page 3 of 3


	3. Chapter 3

Jake had fallen onto the ground, unmoving. I let out a strangled scream as I quickly got to my feet.

"Don't move," dad ordered through gritted teeth, not taking his eyes off of Jake. I bit my lip to hold back my tears.

I heard footsteps coming quickly towards the field. Mom, Alice, Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett were racing towards us and I prayed that they would get here before Jake got up, otherwise…

He stirred on the ground about ten seconds later, his entire body shaking as he got onto all fours, glaring at my father with an almost equal amount of fury. I could tell he was struggling to reel in his emotions, to prevent himself from transforming before he could say anything. My father spoke first.

"You… dirty… disgusting…dog," he said slowly, his face showing nothing but pure rage. "You _swore _you wouldn't… How _dare _you touch her..."

"Who _swore_?" Jake demanded as he got to his feet. "I said I'd wait, that's it, and from the looks of it my waiting's over."

"I assure you, it isn't," my dad replied, his voice low and deadly. He pulled his arm back and kicked off the ground, running at Jacob at full speed. Jake quickly jumped to his right to dodge the swipe that was aimed at his throat.

"Wait, you don't get it," said Jake angrily as he retreated backwards, refusing to fight as he saw mom, Alice and Rosalie running towards him, Emmett and Jasper coming from the opposite direction.

"I don't care about your stupid imprint, dog," he growled, ignoring them. "Either you fight me or die like a fool." He lunged at him again, only to be stopped by both Emmett and Jasper, who grabbed his arms. They forced him back towards my mom as Jake walked over to me slowly, not taking his eyes off my father. As soon as he came within distance I hugged him tightly and he wrapped his arms protectively around me, his face grim.

"Dammit, Jasper, stop it, I don't need to be calm right now," dad said, frustrated as he struggled to fight both my uncles' grips and Jasper's power.

"Excuse me if I think otherwise," said Jasper, concentrating.

Emmett continued to wrestle him.

"Come on, Ed, get a grip!"

Rosalie and Alice came over to us.

"You stupid mutt, what are you still doing here!?" Rosalie demanded as she tried to pull me away from him. "You need to leave NOW."

He wrapped his arms tighter around me.

"Not until I talk to him," he said stubbornly.

"Didn't you hear him? He doesn't care about your stupid imprint!"

"Imprint?" I asked. What was that?

"Rosalie, stop," said Alice.

Jake looked at me and quickly turned back to Rosalie.

"Shut up Blondie it's none of your business!"

"What do you mean 'it's none my business'? She's my _niece!_" she screeched. "I was protecting her while she was still him the _womb _you mangy dog and if you think --!"

"HE DID WHAT?!" screamed my mother, interrupting Rosie in mid-sentence. The four of us turned to see her walking slowly towards us, extremely livid. She looked at Jake, her fist clenched. He quickly let go of me and raised his hands in the air.

"We need to talk," she told him, her voice shaking in anger.

She turned to my dad and uncles. "Go home. We'll meet you guys there."

My father looked reluctant, but with a glance from my mother he nodded and took off with Jasper and Emmett.

"I was trying to talk to him_,_" said Jake.

"Well I can't blame him for not listening, Jacob" she said.

"You knew this would happen eventually."

Her eyes narrowed. Alice and Rosie sensed the danger and quickly grabbed her arms as I stepped in front of Jake.

"Bella, calm down," said Alice soothingly, putting her hand on her shoulder. "We'll go home and talk about it."

"Why were you all here?" I asked.

"Your dad heard Jacob's thoughts so he knew where you two were going," replied Alice. "After he cleaned up I saw him going to get you until he came within range of both your thoughts. I imagine he didn't like what he heard; he become very angry and then the vision just disappeared. I thought it would be best if we all came."

"Why is it such a big deal?" I demanded. "It was just a kiss_._"

"He _kissed _you?" Rosie asked, disgusted. Alice looked a bit surprised.

"I kissed him back."

Rosalie looked like she would throw up. Alice, however, was trying to keep from smiling.

"It wasn't just a _kiss, _Renesmee, he broke a promise," said mom, still glaring at Jacob.

"No, I didn't," he said from behind me.

"What promise?" I asked. "What could he have possibly promised that would get you so mad?"

Everyone was silent. I looked around; no one was making any sort of eye contact with me. I was becoming extremely frustrated. This was the third time today someone had avoided my question.

"Let go of me, I'm fine," she growled as she roughly shook my aunts off. "Let's just get back to the house."

It was a silent trip back, with my mother at my side, Alice and Rosalie running behind us and Jake at the back. I wondered what I was missing as I replayed the event in my head. Jake loved me, just as much as I loved him, what was wrong with that? And what the heck did Jake imprint that made my parents go crazy?

Page 2 of 2


	4. Chapter 4

Half of my family was sitting in the living room around the rectangular glass coffee table. Rosalie sat on the couch with Carlisle and Esme across from Alice, my mother and me. My father sat on the chair and Jacob sat at the other end with Leah and Seth in their wolf forms sitting on either side of him. Emmett and Jasper decided to sit this one out and went hunting.

As I requested, my mother shielded my thoughts from my father, though she refused to do the same for Jacob. We all sat there silently, no one knowing exactly what to say, until Alice spoke up.

"Let's start talking, shall we?" she said lightly.

"What's there to talk about?" Rosalie demanded. "The answer's _no._"

"Rosalie, it's not a matter of simply saying no," said Carlisle. "We must take into consideration his heritage, his genetics. Imprinting is extremely rare with his kind, and is not to be taken lightly, even by vampires."

She rolled her eyes.

"I agree with Carlisle" said my mother, "and I personally have nothing to say against you, Jacob, but she's still technically two years old. I thought you'd wait longer."

"What do you mean, 'I thought you'd wait longer'?" I asked her.

"I promised I'd wait for the right time," Jake argued. "I never knew when that would be. Besides, she's never mentally been just a kid."

"That's true," spoke Alice, "she's never been a normal child, not from the moment she was born."

"Yes," Carlisle agreed. "It seems her mind ages more rapidly than her body and as a baby she was extremely perceptive. It's not inconceivable that she is also subconsciously aware of her connection to Jacob."

"Yeah, we've always been connected," said Jake.

"Are you sure it's _her _you were always connected to?" asked my father.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"_Edward,_" warned my mother, "that has nothing to do with this."

"What has nothing to do with this?" I asked again.

Jake glared at him, his nostrils flared.

"You _know _it's not like that," he said to my father. "Those feelings were for Nessie, she just wasn't there yet."

"_What's _not like that?" I asked again, becoming extremely annoyed.

"Then before you confess your undying love for my daughter, I suggest you tell her everything before the rest of us do."

"I'd rather tell her alone, thanks."

"I'd rather you told me right now," I said loudly.

Never had I been ignored this way by any one of my family members and, quite frankly, I was on the brink of insanity. Everyone turned their heads towards me. I crossed my arms.

"For starters, what's this imprinting thing that's driving you all nuts?"

"It's a sick, twisted mutt tradition," replied Rosalie as Leah snarled.

"It's a sort of wolf instinct that detects the wolf's best possible mate," explained Carlisle.

"And it doesn't distinguish between age or species," my father spat.

"But it's not like I wanted to marry you as soon as I saw you or anything," said Jake. "I just wanted to make sure you were happy and safe until you became old enough to decide whether or not you wanted to be with me."

A thought occurred to me.

"'When I became old enough'? When, exactly, did you 'imprint' me?" I asked, remembering my mother attacking Jacob while I was still a baby.

Jake shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Almost as soon as you were born," answered my father, disgust in his voice.

I felt a bit queasy. "You… when I was…" I said slowly. He had chosen me as a potential _mate _while I was a baby less than a day old?

"It's not something I could control. Like I said, it's not like I was in love with you at the moment or anything," he said quickly. "I just wanted to protect you."

"It's true," my father agreed. "He couldn't be in love with you the same time he was so in love with your mother, could he?"

"Edward!" my mother and Alice exclaimed.

"Wh-what?" I asked, completely shocked.

I slowly turned towards Jake. Though my father was certainly adapt at deception, he wasn't. I searched his face for any signs that my dad was lying, any signs that, that it was untrue. I didn't find them. In my head, it was as if my unanswered questions were pieces of a puzzle slowly coming together.

"That time I asked you why she punched you…?"

He hesitated.

"It was the first time I kissed her."

My head spun.

"There was a second time?"

He looked away. I turned to my mother, her face expressionless. I gently reached up to touch her face to replay my question. I couldn't bear asking again.

"Yes," she answered quietly.

"Only because she asked him to," my father added.

My stomach turned. The age difference was nothing to me, but _this _was near revolting. To think that Jacob had kissed my mother more than he had kissed me, told her he loved her more than he had told me, how she had reciprocated these feelings, it made me burn with both jealousy and betrayal. How had I never known this?

I looked around the room. Alice, Rosalie, Carlisle, Esme, Seth, Leah; no one seemed surprised. They all knew what I didn't.

"Edward," said my mother angrily, "you should leave."

"Bella, she needs to know everything, all the facts," he insisted.

"Giving her the facts doesn't mean mentioning everything that could hurt Jacob. You've been staring at him the whole time, concentrating on his thoughts, smiling, and you haven't even looked at your daughter," she snapped as I felt her remove her shield from me.

My father flinched as the conflicting thoughts in my head, the pain in my heart, hit him head-on. She brought the shield around me again. He turned to look at me and saw the color drained from my face. His eyes softened and he looked almost as pained as I was.

"I'm so sorry Renesmee," he whispered. "I'll leave."

He stood up.

"No," I said. "You're the only one here who's told me anything worth knowing. I think you should stay. I want you to."

He had only been trying to protect me from this up until now. The reason why he repeatedly bribed Alice, why he didn't want me to be alone with Jacob had become clear to me. Even Rosalie's repeated attempts to seriously injure him were justified in a way.

I turned to Jacob, unable to look him in the eyes for the first time in my two years.

"I understand a bit more now, but I need time to think about this," I told him quietly.

"Nessie…" he began.

"Please don't call me that anymore," I told him, looking at the floor. "I think you need to go."

Seth and Leah whined. I refused to look at any of them, afraid I would lose my resolve if I did. Jake clenched his fists. There was a long pause before he spoke again.

"Well I'm sorry you feel that way, _Renesmee,_" said Jake angrily. "Call me when you want to listen to what I have to say."

He got up and the three headed out for door.

As I watched him leave a part of me was screaming for him to stop, for me to pull him back to me like I did on the field. I wanted him to wrap his warm arms around me, make me feel safe again, but I just couldn't move. I couldn't. I suddenly felt my fragility of my human side, the heart that threatened to break still beating quickly in my chest while I watched him go.

Carlisle and Esme got up to follow Jacob, Alice went upstairs, pulling Rosalie behind her, assuring her that I'd be okay with my mother. My father got up to hug me.

"I'm sorry," he said again, a deep sadness in his voice.

He kissed my mother gently, telling her he'd be at home waiting for us. I turned away.

After everyone had gone, my mother put her arms around me and squeezed tightly.

"I know that look," she whispered. "I had it once too."

I buried my head in her shoulder, the image of Jacob's kiss replaying in my mind over and over, each time digging deeper into my aching heart.


	5. Chapter 5

**JACOB**

I phased and ran out of the bloodsuckers' house as fast as I could, not even stopping to tie up my clothes. I ripped them off in a rage as I transformed.

_That probably wasn't the best idea, Jacob, _said Leah. _Billy's going to be mad if you run in the house naked again._

_In case you hadn't noticed, I'm don't really care about that right now, _I snarled.

_Just trying to cheer you up._

_Leah, it's not the time to joke. He imprinted on Nessie. It can't be easy for him, _said Seth

_Well I'm sorry if I'm not a big fan of imprinting. _

Her thoughts wandered to Sam and Emily.

_Oh, get over it sis, _said Seth, annoyed.

I stopped quickly and turned to face them.

_WOULD YOU TWO SHUT UP?! _I shouted furiously.

They were silent.

_Just leave. Now. Go home, go hunting, I don't care, just leave me alone._

_Jacob, we're not just going to—_

_NOW. _I said, bringing myself to full height.

They had no choice but to obey me. With worried thoughts running around both of their heads, they turned and headed back towards La Push. As soon as I couldn't hear them anymore I phased back to my human form and pulled out a pair of gray sweatpants from the bush I had stashed them behind a couple months back, just in case I needed them. I ran barefoot back to the open field and went over to the tree that I was thrown into by that bloodsucker.

I put my hand on the giant dent where I had collided with it, the memory sending me into a fury as I punched the tree as hard as I could. Cracks began to form where my fist hit and the top of it slowly separated from the bottom and fell to the floor with a thud. I stared at it for a while as I became lost in thought.

Nessie had not only completely rejected me, but she kissed me before she did. She was definitely Bella's daughter, no mistake. I couldn't blame her though. I never told her the truth and now all I had was the feeling of complete emptiness.

The worst part of the whole thing was remembering her warmth when I hugged her, when I kissed her. Because of my body temperature, nothing felt hot, or even that warm to me anymore and her being the only one who was able to give that to me was more precious than anything. I wanted go back, badly. I wanted to hold her, to make her see why we needed each other. I wanted to keep going back until she understood, no matter how many times she would reject me at first. I fell on all fours and banged my fist on the cold grass floor, leaving a deep hole in the dirt.

"This is so stupid," I said to myself bitterly. First Bella chose Edward over me and I still couldn't stay away from her, and then my subconscious went and imprinted her daughter. I kept getting hurt, and then I kept coming back for more. When had I become a masochist?

"I know the feeling," said Edward's voice behind me.

I quickly phased and turned to face him, growling.

_What are you doing here?? _I demanded.

After years of hanging around at the Cullen's, I had gotten used to them, their appearance, even their horrible smell. Now I could smell his putrid scent near me. Now the sight of him sent a chill up and down my spine; his pale skin was abnormally bright in the moonlight and his eyes were an unnatural golden color, the eyes of a murderer. How had I become close to such a disgusting species? I crouched down low, ready to jump at him.

"I didn't come to fight, I wanted to talk."

_We already talked and it didn't go so well for me, if you remember,r and if you came to kick me while I'm already down, you're more pathetic than I thought you were._

"I thought of no such thing. I came to talk about my daughter."

I relaxed slightly.

_Did she ask you to..?_

"No. I came on my own. I have no doubts of course that she did… have feelings… for you," he said, almost gagging on the words, "but as you saw, that has passed."

_Your point?_

"I wanted to… apologize. I had no business revealing the information I did, not that I didn't have a good reason to, but it hurt Renesmee in the process, which is the very last thing I wanted."

I tried to hide my surprise, though he probably caught it. What was he getting at?

"What I'm _getting at _is that I want you to go back to her."

_What the hell? _

He had spent all his time trying to pry us apart and now he wanted me to --

"I'm perfectly serious," he interrupted, "I want you to return to her, but not how you were thinking. At first I never truly understood why Bella kept having you around, but after hearing Renesmee's feelings, I've come to a conclusion."

_What conclusion? _ I asked skeptically.

"Before this… incident…she trusted you, loved you as her best friend, someone that could be relied on for anything. And the fact that both of you aren't pureblood, that you yourself had also aged at a rapid pace brought her closer to you."

I was silent. I didn't know what to say to this bloodsucker that had suddenly become a protective human father.

"I'll admit the two or you are very similar, but not if it's in a romantic way. If you have to love her, love her as a friend, absolutely nothing more than that."

_And if I can't do that?_

"Then you do not come back. It's your choice. All I can say is that she sincerely wishes that none of this had ever happened."

I felt a stab of pain in my chest. He looked at me unsympathetically and turned towards the direction of the house.

"I have to leave. Bella and Renesmee are expecting me at home."

He ran quickly through the trees, out of my sight in less than a second.

So that was it, huh? An ultimatum. It was almost funny; I thought he and Bella of all people would understand the forbidden love thing. I turned to run in the opposite direction.

I needed to go to La Push, to go home and talk to my dad and Sam about what to do. I could almost imagine the conversation.

_What happens when the person you imprint found out you had the hots for her mom a while back and she was completely disgusted?_ I chuckled.

I knew I couldn't just run away like I did last time, no matter how much I was tempted to let my wolf instincts take over and never be human again. Even now I could feel a pull towards her, my chest aching from being apart, kind of like it did every time I left her side.

Page 3 of 3


	6. Chapter 6

I decided to go to Sam's house first. I would have gone to Quil or Embry's place, but about a year ago, Sam had forbidden them any contact with me without him being there. After losing Seth and Leah, he refused to take any more losses to his pack, though I hadn't even _wanted _them. Aside from that stubbornness though, Sam was still a pretty good guy and we were on friendly terms as alphas.

When I got there the lights in his house were all off; he and Emily were still sleeping. I looked at the sky, the sun was just barely visible. I decided it would probably be better if I didn't wake them up at the crack of dawn. I decided to steal a few hours sleep and curled up in front of their door.

Some hours later, I woke up with a start as the front door opened. I looked up to see Emily, probably surprised to see a giant black wolf napping on her porch.

"Jacob, thank goodness you're here."

I just looked at her and tilted my head, confused.

"Don't be silly, can you change to talk to me? I can't really understand you."

I shook my head and pointed my nose towards the leg that I usually tied my clothes on, the string hanging there limp. Emily laughed as Sam joined her at the door.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Jacob's here, but I think he needs to borrow some clothes," replied Emily, smiling.

"No, let's just go," he said.

Sam and Emily put on their jackets.

"I already called Billy and told him we were coming," said Sam as he grabbed car keys out of his pocket.

How'd you know? I tilted my head agian.

"Seth and Leah," he replied. "They told me the whole story. We figured you'd either come to me or Billy."

I reminded myself to thank those two later. They saved me the effort of having to retell the whole story.

"You go first, we'll follow you in the car," he said.

Minutes later we arrived at my house, my dad sitting on the porch in his wheelchair, looking at me with worried eyes. I looked away. I couldn't take that look of pity. I ran past him into my room to put on some clothes and came out to find them already sitting at the table. I sat down across from them and, wasting no time, explained what had happened after I left the Cullen house, including the conversation with Edward.

"But I can't exactly do that, so I think it would be better if I didn't have any feelings for her _that _way," I said, turning to Sam. "Is there any way to get rid of it?"

"_It?_" asked Sam.

"I want to know if I can remove my imprint on Renesmee," I said flatly.

All three looked at me thoughtfully in silence. I looked right back at them, waiting for an answer.

"I don't know what to say Jacob," said Sam finally. "Imprinting itself is rare enough without trying to find a way to remove it. It's impossible."

"You also said it was impossible to resist that level of dedication that came with imprinting," I pointed out.

"Yes, but that was based on the feelings of the girl, not on our genetic instincts. We were gifted with the rare ability to find out who we're supposed to be with for the rest of our lives, why would you throw that away so quickly?"

"I told you, it's not gonna happen," I said, trying to make my face expressionless like that bloodsucker did so well.

I couldn't do it. Sam gave me a look of pity as he saw my pained face; he knew full well the effects imprinting had.

"I just…_need_ to get rid of this feeling, this constant pull," I said slowly. "She just doesn't want me, so what's the point of it?"

"Jacob," said my dad, "correct me if I'm wrong, but Renesmee's a bit over two years old now right?"

"Technically, yeah, but she looks seventeen," I reminded him.

"Yes, I know, I've seen her, but think about it; she hasn't been alive that long, maybe it's just too soon?"

I blinked, confused.

"Too soon?" I asked.

He nodded.

"She's speeding through puberty in six months; I don't think you can expect her to have undying love for you right now."

"I _don't _expect her to have undying love for me. Hell, I'd be just fine if she _talked _to me right now."

"I think he's saying that the only kind of love she's familiar with is the love she has for her family, and the 'big brother' sort of affection she had for you," said Emily thoughtfully. "Then one day you came and gave her some new feeling that I can imagine was overwhelming. After that, to find out that you had felt that same intense feeling towards her own mother, she would probably feel betrayed, or even less special to you."

Sam looked at his wife with an amazed look on his face.

"Wow," he said. "Do you have any special sympathizing powers you haven't told me about?"

She laughed.

"Yes, sweetie, I was born with it. It's called being a woman."

"Wait, wait," I interrupted them before they started making kissy faces at each other. "Are you… are you saying Nessie might be … _jealous_?" I asked incredulously.

"It's a possibility," she replied, "Especially since she and Bella appear to be about the same age. If anything, she might unconsciously see her mother as a rival."

That was ridiculous. What I had felt for Bella had gone out the window after I laid eyes on Nessie.

"So maybe you need to wait a while longer," suggested Sam.

"And meanwhile, you can take Edward up on his offer," my dad added. "Just stay as her friend for the time being, wait until she's ready."

"That's easier said than done," I said, my stomach twisted painfully as I remembered our kiss.

"Maybe so," said Sam. "But it's better than the trying to resist the pull you feel towards her, right?"

"Probably," I agreed. "But what about this jealousy thing that's goin on?"

"Just make sure she knows she has nothing to be jealous about," answered Emily, smiling.

I thought about it. The fact that she even might be jealous gave me some hope that she'd open up to me sooner or later. How I'd convince her otherwise, I had no idea, but I was definitely gonna try. I guess it'd be back to the old plan: keep coming back for more.

"You guys just might be onto something," I grinned, getting up from the table.

My dad smiled at me.

"Now get out of here boy, Charlie's coming over to watch the game."

I threw off my t-shirt and started to run out the door.

"Thanks!" I yelled behind me as I headed towards the Cullen house.

I quickly kicked off my jeans and tied them to my legs as I phased. I opened my mouth as I ran, tasting the cool air as I sped off. There was a strange scent in the air, but I pushed it to the back of my mind and ignored it. I had been punched into a tree, hadn't eaten, and barely slept, yet I felt unstoppable. I couldn't believe what I had been willing to give up in one stupid moment of doubt.

As I came near the house, Edward I saw that was already waiting for me, a smug smile on his cold face. I had been hoping he was at his cottage; I wanted to speak to Alice first. I phased back before I stepped out from behind the trees.

"Wipe off the smile, bloodsucker, or I'll do it for you."

"No need for that, mutt. As long as you've agreed to my terms, I'll let you inside," he smirked as though he knew something I didn't.

I walked up him, annoyed.

"You already know the answer."

"I do," he said, stepping aside.

As soon as I walked into the house, I felt something was wrong. It couldn't be, it wasn't right…

"You're hearing is correct," said the bloodsucker.

I heard not only Nessie's heartbeat, quick and fluttering, but also another, beating at the same pace. I ran to the living room to see another vampire with dark skin sitting across from Nessie and Bella.

Nessie and Bella looked at me with shocked expressions, while the other one just stared at me with teal eyes. Teal eyes?

I recognized him as the half-vampire that had appeared two years ago at the battle with the Italian bloodsuckers. What was his name?

"Nahuel," said Edward, saying his name slowly. "I'd like you to meet our dear friend, Jacob."

Page 3 of 3


	7. Chapter 7

**RENESMEE**

My mother still had her arms wrapped around me for a long after my father left. Her pale skin was cold on mine, but definitely not uncomfortable.

"How could he choose a newborn baby as his _mate_?" I asked disgustedly.

"He didn't have a choice," she said simply. "None of them do. It's an instinct, that's how imprinting works I guess."

"Why are you on his side all of a sudden?"

"I was never against him; I just wanted him to wait longer than he did."

"Dad too?"

"No, actually, Edward really does want to kill him."

"Why?"

"You're our _baby_, Renesmee," she said, looking at me adoringly. "He doesn't want to share you, especially with Jacob…" she trailed off, looking uncomfortable.

My anger flared up again.

"His former rival you mean," I spat.

"Yes, we used to be very close," she said quietly. "But I don't think you see it the same way we do."

"How can I see it any different?" I demanded. "He _loved_ you. The same way he loves me. I can't… I can't deal with it, and I don't even know _why_!" I yelled in frustration.

"Let me explain. Jake and I… We would have been together, if it wasn't for you and Edward."

"You loved him?"

"Yes, I became aware that I was in love with him, but I loved Edward more, if that makes sense."

I stared at her. For me, love was so overwhelming and confusing to a point where I wanted to scream, yet she loved two people at once? She took a deep breath.

"I guess in a normal world, with no vampires or werewolves, a rational world with only humans, Jake and I would have been happy," she began. I winced. "But with Edward, he sort of threw it all off balance, upset the natural order of things and I came to love Jake as family. I ended up lucky, but he…" she trailed off.

"What?" I asked, curious in spite of myself.

"I just owe him a lot. He deserves happiness and when he's with you, he's happy."

"I know," I said, annoyed. "I'm happy too."

I knew he loved me, I knew I loved him too, but I didn't know what to do next. I had been so sure that I'd be mad at Jake forever, but now I was just itching to find him again, but at the same time it scared me to want him so much more than I ever had before.

"But," said my mom suddenly, the corners of her mouth twitching. "Can you two please, please wait until you're a bit older? I don't want Edward killing him."

I laughed.

"Believe me," I replied. "This one's going to take a while."

"Perfect," said my father from behind us.

My mother and I jumped up from the couch. It's surprising what we don't notice when we're focused on other things.

"Oops," he said, smiling a crooked smile. "Sorry, but the two of you took so long to get back home I decided to come get you."

I looked at the clock. Seven in the morning.

"You three were eavesdropping," she crossed her arms.

"Sorry, love," my father smiled at her.

"I wasn't," said Jasper, coming out of nowhere.

"It's my fault, Bella," said Alice apologetically, her tiny frame popping out from behind my father. "I told him you when you'd be done."

"And she wanted to see you too," he added.

"We'll be having a visitor," said Alice. "It's kind of fuzzy, but I'm sure it won't be that long. Carlisle, Emmett and Rosalie are trailing him, and he's not dangerous, I'm sure."

My father narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not entirely sure about that," he said as we heard the door open.

"Hey, Bella, Ed, Nessie, check out who's here!" shouted Emmett as he walked into the living room followed by Rosalie and Carlisle.

In walked a guy who looked about the same age as me. He had rich, dark skin and short, black hair. I stared; I'd never seen a vampire that was so, well, _tan._ The part that amazed me the most, though, was his eyes; they were a beautiful, bluish-green color. I gasped as I remembered him from two years ago; he had his hair in a braid back then. What was his name?

"Nahuel," greeted Alice. "What a surprise!"

"Yeah," said Emmett. "Nice haircut."

"Thank you," he said. "I thought it would be proper to have proper human clothing also."

He was wearing jeans and a plain white t-shirt, reminding me of Jake for a moment. His eyes turned to me.

"Well, you have almost fully grown," he observed, speaking in that strange, articulate way my father did. "You grew faster than I did. I didn't reach that age for three or four years, I think. Quite odd."

"Sorry to disappoint you," I said, offended. I didn't think _he _should be calling anybody odd.

"Nonsense," he smiled, walking towards me. He reached for my hand and kissed it gently. "You look lovely."

I blushed.

"Excuse me," interrupted Carlisle as he saw the look on my father's face. "Not that we're displeased to have you here, Nahuel, but why have you come?"

"Not to worry," he assured him, "I just wanted to see how Renesmee was doing."

"And what else?" said dad, crossing his arms.

"Oh, yes, I remember, you can read minds," said Nahuel. "Well, I wanted to do this differently, but..." He turned to me again. "I've come to ask you to consider me as a mate."

Everyone's eyes, but my father's, popped open wide open.

"Excuse me?" hissed Rosalie. Everyone else raised their eyebrows.

"I wasn't going to push this option for another five years, when she had reached maturity," he said, unaffected.

"No offense, but why don't you come back in five years?" asked Emmett.

"I am no stranger to the enhanced beauty of vampires," he replied. "I simply wanted to be the first to ask."

"How nice," said my mother, her face saying otherwise.

"But I'm stunned to see that she has reached my age already."

"We have attributed that to her mother's ability to mature quickly," said Carlisle, though this was the first time I had heard this theory.

"Yes, I remember," said Nahuel thoughtfully. "I was quite surprised when I learned that she was still a newborn when she faced off against the Volturi."

"How did you find that out?" asked Jasper.

"The Amazonian coven spoke highly of Renesmee and her mother after the confrontation."

I smiled as I remembered Zafrina.

"If I may, could I speak to Renesmee alone?" he asked suddenly.

"No," said my father flatly.

"What he means to say is that we will leave the room, but Renesmee's parents will stay," said Carlisle quickly.

"Of course," agreed Nahuel.

Everyone cleared out of the room, Rosalie looked like she wanted to say something, but Emmett pushed her out, winking at me.

My mom and I sat down again while my dad stood behind us, his arms still crossed. Nahuel sat across from us, his face calm.

"Of course, this is a matter I also wished to discuss with your parents," he said.

"She's not leaving," said my father in response to an unheard thought.

"I can also stay nearby," responded Nahuel. "I am here alone, not even Huilen is with me."

"You can stay," said my mother, "and we will have human food for you here, but Renesmee is not…available… for any sort of engagement, I'm sorry."

"But is that also not Renesmee's choice?" he asked, looking at my father also.

"I agree with my parents," I said quickly.

His smile fell quickly.

"Renesmee, I urge you to look into this further. We are the same kind, you know as well as I that we have different needs and wants than other vampires. We do not age, but we have blood flowing in our veins, we have hearts that beat, but faster than human's. We don't fit with either side; we are our own separate species. I am the only male and you are the only female that is not my sister."

"Yes, we know," said my father, annoyed, "and of course we are grateful for your services two years ago, but we cannot accept your offer. We can only offer you a place to stay as long as you like."

Nahuel was quiet, his face pensive.

"Then I shall accept and stay nearby," he said. "I would also like to spend time with Renesmee, observe her growth and help with new adjustments."

"You will have to ask her," said my father. "But if you will excuse me, I must step outside."

He walked out of the living room, leaving my mother and I confused. Nahuel turned to me.

"Well, Renesmee, would you allow me to stay beside you?" he asked, smiling gently.

I blushed again. My mother raised an eyebrow.

"I think that'd be okay," I said hesitantly, not wanting to offend him.

I looked at my mom.

"Alright," she said. "We'll just find you a suitable place to stay after we talk with Carlisle."

He smiled again and said something else but I didn't hear him. My nose caught a familiar scent and my brain reeled as Jacob walked right into the living room. I was completely shocked.

"_Jacob_ just came in to say hello to you," said my father, grinning viciously as he walked in and patted Jake on the back.

I narrowed my eyes at him, wishing that my mother would remove her shield for a second or two. Nahuel stood up and walked over to shake Jake's hand.

"Good to see you again, Jacob," he said politely. "I remember you from the confrontation with the Volturi. I thank you for your assistance."

"No thanks necessary," Jake replied through gritted teeth.


	8. Chapter 8

I sat across from Jacob in the living room, neither one of us looking at eachother. I sighed; I seemed to be sitting on this couch a lot lately.

The rest of my family had taken Nahuel to show him the sites where he could hunt animals and where the wolf territories were. They were doing it for my sake though; they knew Nahuel could survive on human food like I could. But at least now I could concentrate on the conversation without any distractions.

So many things were going through my head at once. We needed to talk about what happened, the imprinting. I needed to apologize to him, and tell him that I still wanted him to be with me, that I had missed him, but, at the same time, I wasn't ready to love him like he loved me. I took a deep breath.

"Jake, about yesterday…I'm so--"

"Let's forget it, okay?" he interrupted.

"What?" I asked, taken by surprise.

"I mean, let's just go back to being friends."

I looked at him closely, confused. I did want that, but I didn't intend to forget what happened either.

"I don't think it works that way Jake. It was kind of a big thing, and I thought if you imprinted on someone you couldn't… you couldn't do that."

He looked down.

"I talked to Sam and he found a way to remove the imprint."

"Really?" I asked, surprised.

"It was necessary, and obviously you weren't mentally prepared. I wasn't gonna be the one to push you," he said, still not looking up.

"I'm not _mentally prepared_?" I repeated.

"I didn't mean it that way," he said quickly, "I just think that Bella's right, I should've waited longer than I did. It was stupid."

"Well if _Bella _thought so, I guess I should agree," I said coldly.

I didn't expect to act this way, but, for some reason, the subject was making me extremely annoyed.

"Nessie, that's not what I meant, you don't have to be jealous of her, I'm not---"

"WHO SAYS I'M _JEALOUS_?" I yelled, standing up.

"No one, no one," he said, jumping to his feet. "It's just that I wanted us to hang out and stuff like we used to," he went on, waving his arms frantically, "and …"

I didn't say anything.

"Nessie?" he asked hesitantly, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"I told you not to call me that anymore," I said, batting his hand away.

"Then how come you can still call me Jake?" he demanded, the corner of his mouth twitching.

He caught me. I tried to hold back a smile, but failed miserably as it turned into a lopsided grin.

"What? Brain damage?" he teased.

"No, side effect from standing next to too much stupid," I replied automatically. I couldn't help it, I could hold a grudge about as long as my mother could. The tense atmosphere dissipated behind his booming laughter as I smiled and wrapped my arms around him, enjoying the familiar warmth.

"I'm glad you're back," I said happily.

"Me too," he said, hugging me back gently. "But could you loosen the death grip a little?"

"Oops," I said loosened my arms.

"We're okay then?" he asked.

"Never better," I replied. "But can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Will you be able to imprint on someone else… later on?" I asked cautiously. I didn't mean to jump into that subject so suddenly, but my curiosity got the best of me.

"Um, I don't think so," he said with a weird look on his face.

"I'm so sorry Jake," I said, burying my face in his chest. I did want to go back to being friends with him, but not when he would erase a part of his life like that.

"It's okay; there are some wolves that never experience it anyways. It's just a chance thing," he said distractedly. "By the way, what was that other vampire guy doing here?" he asked.

I kept my face hidden in his shirt as I felt blood rush to my cheeks.

"He, uh, came to… to….," I hesitated, trying to find the right words. "Basically, he asked me to marry him when I'm 'fully grown'"

I waited for a response, but received none. He was stunned into silence?

"Don't worry," I laughed, "I don't have wedding plans just yet."

"Well, maybe you should think about it," he said quietly.

I let go of him and stepped back.

"What?" I asked incredulously.

"I mean, he's your type. Literally."

"So?"

"You… have a lot in common with him," he said slowly.

"Yeah, we have the same half and half DNA thing but he's still a stranger to me."

I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm just saying, you never know."

"And _I'm _just saying I don't ever _want _to know," I said as I wrapped my arms around him again. "He talks like my dad, and there's something weird about him."

"Takes one to know one," he said, lifting me in a bear hug.

I smiled and at him, expecting to see a grin, but instead he was looking right back at me, his dark eyes that were now level with mine filled with such a deep sadness that it sent a jolt up and down my spine. Without thinking, I brought my hand to his hot cheek, staring into the mesmerizing glare of his eyes. I almost couldn't help but lean closer towards him…

He put back me down and cleared his throat.

"I think I hear them coming back," he said loudly.

I let go of him, frustrated for almost making a fool of myself. We had just gotten back to being friends again, but then I go and almost… What was I thinking?

"I'd better go find Leah and Seth," he said, not looking me in the eyes. "I was pretty harsh to them yesterday."

"Oh… Well I hope you find them," I said coldly.

He saw my face and smiled a bit.

"But I'll come back tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay."

He waved goodbye as he ran out the back door, just as my parents and Nahuel came through the front.

"Where's the dog?" dad asked.

"He left," I said as I glared at him.

"Oh," said my mother, disappointed. "I wanted to talk to him."

"What a shame," said Nahuel, "I also wished to speak to him. Your father has told me what good friends you are."

"Yes, it is indeed a shame," my father mused. "Fortunately, he'll be here tomorrow so the three of you can spend the day together."

_I wanted to spend tomorrow with Jake, _I thought furiously. Never had I seen such an evil glint in my dad's eyes. I could never understand how Jake could change my father's personality, from calm and gentle to almost michevious.

My mother noticed my expression and I saw her rush to concentrate her shield around me while I tried to think of every swear word I had learned from Emmett in the last two years.


	9. Chapter 9

**JACOB**

For the second time, I ran out of the Cullen house wanting to kill something, cursing myself for being so stupid.

I was wondering why Edward had been so easy to let me waltz right pass him earlier, and now I knew.

That bloodsucker had timed it perfectly so I'd walk in right when Nahuel said it, the bastard.

"_I hope you accept my proposal, I think we would be suitable for eachother." _

But I saw his point though; she'd be better off with someone more like her. Nahuel could relate to her in a way that I'd never be able to.

_Practically meant for eachother,_ I thought disgustedly.

Edward's words ran through my head over and over again. _ The fact that both of you aren't pureblood; that you yourself had also aged at a rapid pace brought her closer to you. _He'd prefer Nahuel to me any day, I'm sure.

_Maybe Nessie would too._

The look she gave me just now, though… I almost couldn't bring myself to leave. Her warm touch, her brown eyes, her human eyes that had looked so deeply into mine… When she came closer to me it took everything I had to just push her away.

Damn him. Damn them all.

I ran through the trees at full speed, not even know where I was going; I couldn't go back to my house because Charlie was there and he'd been avoiding me ever since I phased in front of him two years ago. Billy said he didn't talk much about it either.

My stomach grumbled. I remembered that I hadn't eaten for almost two days, ever since that morning that Nessie called to help clean her room. I guess I'd hunt then.

I sniffed the air and caught the scent of two or three deer to the north and veered to the right, speeding towards the smell.

_Jacob, wait, _I heard Leah's voice say.

I slowed my pace for a while and allowed the two to catch up behind me.

_You lied, _she said.

_I had to. She's better off with someone more like her._

_You don't know that. You're only torturing yourself. _

_Probably._

_She tried to kiss you._

_You don't know that, _I growled, struggling to keep the memory out of my head.

_But you do._

_Edward's going to know,_ said Seth.

_Whatever. It's what he wants anyways; he's not going to tell her. Now he'll have a nice, normal bloodsucking son-in-law._

_I don't think so, _said Seth, _no matter how he's playing it, I don't think Edward's going to marry off Renesmee like that, he's too protective of her._

_What, you're defending your vampire BFF now? _Leah sneered.

_I'm just saying there's a whole other side to this, _he said.

_It doesn't matter either way. I've already told her that the imprint's gone, _I said as my memory played in their heads. _Now I've lied to her, _again.

We caught sight of the deer a few hundred feet in front of us and split up to surround them.

_Jacob, she'd understand, _Seth insisted.

_What do you want me to do? _I said angrily. _Run back to the house and say 'just kidding!'? I've already decided. She's better off with that thing anyways._

_That's not your decision to make, _he said quietly, _it's hers._

We charged the deer all at once, sinking our razor sharp teeth deep into the back of their necks until they snapped and finished our meals, leaving the rest for the birds to get at. We hadn't gone that far before I smelled a familiar scent close by.

_Vampire, _we all thought simultaneously. But that didn't make sense; the Cullens weren't normally this close to the wolf border and they were all near their house the last time I checked.

_Who do you think it is? _asked Leah, alert.

_I don't know. I'm gonna check it out, _I said_._

_We're going too, _said Seth.

_No. I just need to see who it is. If all of us go, it'll smell us for sure. _

I silently raced towards the border, my paws barely shifting the grass beneath me. As I came closer to the stench I became more and more disturbed as I tried to remember where I had smelled this scent before. Making sure I was downwind, I crouched behind the bushes to get a better look.

There was an indistinct figure leaning on a tree, sleeping, covered by a dark gray blanket. This instantly struck me as strange; bloodsuckers don't sleep. I looked closely at its face; it was a female. I was about to go back, but something in my memory twitched as I took a closer look at the odd shape of the blanket. I growled. It wasn't a blanket. It was a cloak. _Volturi. _

I jumped out from behind the bushes, intending to 'wake' her up. She didn't move. I came closer, she didn't even flinch. She couldn't be dead, the only way to kill them was to rip them apart and burn the pieces, according to what Jasper had told us.

I cautiously backed away. Personally, I felt the need to bite her head off, but my instincts were screaming for me to run.

A sudden thought occurred to me. The last time they were here, it was to kill Renesmee. My head spun as I turned and ran the other direction, the thought racing through my head. I needed to warn the Cullens.

I reached out for Seth and Leah with my mind.

_Jake, are you alright? _asked Seth, startled with my sudden fear.

_We need to go. Now._

_They're back?_

_I don't know, but whatever it is, it's not good. _

Panicked, I put more speed into my run. I needed to find Nessie, to make sure she was safe. I shouldn't have left her with Nahuel. What a coincidence is was that when that half breed bloodsucker decided to show up, there was a member of the Volturi in the middle of the woods, _sleeping._

_You think he has something to do with this? _asked Leah.

_Definitely. It's too much of a coincidence._

_That's not possible, _said Seth. _Edward would've known it right away._

That was true. You couldn't keep _anything_ from that mindreading leech. Bella was the only one…

_Maybe she isn't, _said Leah.

_EDWARD, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, WE NEED TO TALK NOW!_ I shouted, focusing as hard as I could on what I just saw.

_Maybe we should get cellphones, _thought Seth to himself.

_HOW CAN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW? _I barked.

_It's my brain, _he said, embarrassed. _ I can think whatever I want._

_Look, _said Leah.

Running towards us were Edward and Bella. Renesmee and Nahuel came up behind them, looking confused. Edward stopped in front of me with his teeth bared, his golden eyes burning with anger. He was ready to kill.

"Show me where she is," he hissed.


	10. Chapter 10

**RENESMEE**

"Renesmee, may I speak with you outside?" asked Nahuel.

I didn't answer him at first; I was still trying to force my thoughts through my mother's shield, hoping that my dad would hear at least a few chosen words I was thinking at the moment.

"Sure," I said through gritted teeth.

"Edward, let's go home," said my mother, pushing him towards the door.

My father, with a smug smile on his face, put his arm around her shoulder.

"Alright, let's go then. Alice left a new present for you there anyways."

Mom rolled her eyes.

"Clothes again?" she asked.

"A sundress," he answered, stroking her cheek lovingly as her lips formed a frown. "Renesmee has one too."

My mother and I groaned. Just what I wanted, matching dresses. My dad laughed.

"You two are so much alike," he said admiringly. "Now let's leave the happy couple to talk amongst themselves."

I shot him a glare as he and mom walked out in front of us, arm in arm. As soon as they were out of sight, Nahuel began talking.

"You and the werewolf are good friends?" he asked politely.

"His name's Jacob," I said. "And he's my _best _friend."

"How long have you known eachother?"

"Since I was born."

"I see."

"Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious as to how you were able to withstand that_… odor_… of his." He wrinkled his nose.

It seemed as though the rest of my family, even my mother was aware of a "stink" that Jake gave off, but I never smelled it. If anything, his blood smelled sweet to me, not that I had thought to try it, but constantly biting him as a child had left a nice taste in my mouth.

"I think he smells fine."

He looked at me closely.

"You two are nothing more than friends?"

I glared at him.

"Not that it's any of your business, but, yes, we're just friends," I huffed.

"Of course, of course," he said quickly. "It's just that, as lovely as you are, I'm surprised he hasn't staked a claim on you."

"I don't see why he would," I said, trying to keep my face calm, emotionless.

"Renesmee, I don't think you realize exactly how intriguing you are."

I had the feeling he was about to tell me.

"I've seen female vampires before, including my sisters, but you are absolutely stunning. Your eyes especially, they seem so… intoxicating," he said, stepping closer to me, his teal eyes looking at me slowly up and down before reaching my eyes.

"They're brown," I said uneasily as I took a step back. He grasped my hand, pulling me closer.

"Yes, but they shine like nothing I've ever seen, like diamonds," he said, reaching out to touch my burning cheek.

"They're my mother's, when she was human," I said as I tried to casually pull my hand back. He held it with a force that would have broken my wrist if I was human.

"They were probably similar," he said, moving his free hand to the back of my neck to pull my face closer, "but they are yours alone."

I prayed for an apocalyptic event that would force him to let go of me. His face came closer still, moving extremely slowly while still staring into my eyes.

My head spun as I realized what he was about to do. I curled my free hand into a fist, ready to put full force into the blow. His body wouldn't go that far since he was holding my hand with a death grip but at least his face would be a bit farther than it was at the moment. I pulled my fist back and was about to throw it towards his nose when I heard my mom calling for my dad.

Nahuel and I both turned to see my father running at full speed, my mother following with worried look on her face.

Something was wrong though. My father's eyes, practically glowing with killing intent, weren't focused on us, but ahead of him. They ran into the forest.

I looked at Nahuel and he nodded. We simultaneously turned and ran after them. We weren't as fast as they were though and it took a bit to catch up to their speed, our hearts beating a bit faster from the exertion.

I was startled to smell Jake's familiar scent close to us.

_What did he do now? _ I sped up, horrified at what dad might do to him in his state of mind. To my annoyance, Nahuel matched my pace.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I ignored him as I caught sight of Jacob's giant wolf form ahead of us, Seth and Leah on either side of him. My father stopped abruptly in front of Jake, his fists clenched. I was about to jump in between them until I heard my dad speak.

"Show me where she is," he hissed.

She?

"Bella, stay with Renesmee," said my father as he sped off.

My mother turned to Jacob.

"Who's here?" she demanded.

He was silent.

"I don't care if you have to phase back naked, answer my damn question!" she said angrily.

Nahuel grabbed her shoulders to try and calm her as Jake stepped behind a tree to change. He came out with a pair of jeans on, his face dark. He looked in my direction before he spoke.

"I can't say," he said hesitantly.

"Liar," I muttered, furious. He was hiding something.

"Who is he looking for Jacob?" my mother repeated.

Again, he looked over at me. My mother followed his gaze and quickly turned back to Jake, a sudden realization spreading across her face.

"Is it…Volturi?" she asked slowly.

He nodded. Nahuel's face froze.

"Why are they here?" she looked at me, fear apparent in her eyes.

I remembered their last visit all too well. I remembered having to greet them, then asking them politely to not kill me, to not slaughter my friends and family. They had agreed, but back then we had many allies. If they were here now... I had a vision of the house in flames, my parents, my aunts and uncles, my friends, all dead, thrown into the fire.

I tried to shake the thought from my head. Jake walked over to me, concerned, and cupped my face in his warm hands.

"Nessie, they're not going to touch you," he said fiercely. "We won't let them."

"Who was my dad looking for?" I asked as I placed my hands over his.

As soon as I touched his hands my vision blurred for a moment, then refocused, though something had noticeably changed.

I couldn't move, couldn't speak as my body moved on its own. Emotions that I hadn't been feeling became present in my heart, though I felt them as if they were next to me, something I could observe. Thoughts ran through my head that were of a different, separate mind that I could hear.

At that moment my separate mind was feeling very anxious, cautious, crouching behind a bush, looking at a woman sleeping under a dark gray blanket. She was vampire. A sleeping vampire? My other mind was confused. The blanket looked odd. Then a sudden realization hit. It wasn't a blanket, it was a cloak.

_The cloak the Volturi's wore, _I thought to myself. I could never forget the ominous gray cloud that had swept towards the Cullen house.

_What if Nessie is being hunted again? _my other mind thought. The body ran the other direction, towards others.

_Are you alright Jake? _asked a familiar voice.

I turned to see Seth, in his wolf form, looking straight at me. I gasped as I realized whose eyes I had been looking through.

_Jacob, _I whispered softly in my head as I felt a tiny jolt of excitement.

Again, my vision blurred momentarily and standing in front of Jake again, breathing hard. My hands were tightly gripping his and everyone was staring at me.

"Renesmee?" asked my mother, worried.

"Are you alright?" asked Nahuel.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You…blacked out," said Jake, looking at me uncertainly.

"You saw a woman sleeping…with a cloak…" I said slowly, looking at him.

His mouth fell open in shock. So it had been real.

"How did you…?"

"I saw it, like how I show you things, except I was the one looking at a memory," I said slowly, quickly working out what I had seen in my brain. "I asked you who my dad was looking for… and you answered me."


	11. Chapter 11

Everyone looked at me, stunned.

"He didn't say anything," said Nahuel.

"He didn't have to," I snapped. "I _saw _it."

"That's not possible," he said, his voice low.

I stared at him. He was acting strange. His eyes, that were usually so calm, had become darker, crazed… He started walking towards me slowly. Seth barked loudly as Jake stepped in front of me.

"Start walking backwards, bloodsucker," he ordered.

Responding with a growl, Nahuel crouched low.

"What are you doing?" demanded my mother, copying his movement.

"Move," he said, ignoring her question.

Jake didn't even twitch as Nahuel lunged at him. Out of nowhere my father appeared and tackled him to the ground in mid-jump and grabbed his throat to pin him against the tree, his face contorted with rage.

"_Did you think you could hide behind them, you miserable rat_?" he hissed, tightening his grip. "DID YOU THINK THEY COULD PROTECT YOU FROM _ME_?"

"I… had…no…choice," rasped Nahuel, hopelessly clawing at my father's steel grip.

"Stop, you're killing him!" I yelled, horrified.

"She's right," snarled Jake. "Don't kill him too fast, save some for me."

"Don't worry, I won't let him off that easily," said my father icily.

"Edward, stop," said my mother fiercely. "Not in front of her."

"Bella, he's working with them," he told her, not looking away from Nahuel. "Renata's been here."

"Renata? Aro's shield?" she asked. "That's impossible, she doesn't leave him."

"It was her Jacob saw, I'm sure of it, shielding _this _idiot," he roughly threw Nahuel to the floor, "from me."

His body fell lifelessly to the ground.

"Is he dead?" asked Jacob.

"No. Unconscious," replied my father, looking as though he preferred something different.

"What about Renata?" asked my mother.

"Gone by the time I got there. I heard his thoughts as I was coming back. She must be going back to _them," _he said grimly.

"That means they're going to come here," said Jacob.

"We'll have to go to Alice," said my mother. "We don't have the time to round everybody up again."

"What about _him_?" I asked, looking at Nahuel's unconscious form.

"I'm not carrying that load," said Jacob flatly.

"It's fine," said my dad, "I'll drag him. I want to be there when if he becomes conscious again. Bella, Renesmee, you two run ahead of me. Jacob, you stay behind."

Seth and Leah whined.

"I need you two to go to Sam," said Jacob. "He'll need to know what's going on."

They were hesitant at first, but with a nod from Jacob they quickly turned and sped towards La Push as we headed towards the house.

Everybody was already waiting for us in the back. One look from Alice told me that Jake's assumption had been right.

"One week," she said as my dad ran up with Nahuel, covered in leaves and dirt. He had obviously not been gentle.

"Wake him up," growled Rosalie.

"I think we all want a piece of him," agreed Emmett.

"No," said Carlisle quickly. "We need to question him."

"He'll be awake in about four seconds," said Alice. "Jacob, could you stand over there?" she asked him, rubbing her forehead. "My vision's fuzzy enough as it is."

Jake stepped back a few feet, his arms crossed.

Nahuel stirred, opening his eyes a bit. Realizing where he was, he jumped up in a defensive crouch, only to be knocked down again by Emmett.

"You're doing just fine down there," he hissed.

"We have a few questions for you," said Carlisle.

Emmett and Jasper stood him upright and pulled his arms behind his back. Nahuel struggled against the two, staring at us with hatred in his teal eyes.

"Why have you come?"

"Why don't you have your mind reader tell you?"

"Oh, we'd much rather hear it from you," said Emmett, twisting Nahuel's arm tighter. He winced in pain.

"Renesmee," he spat.

My dad stopped Rosalie's hand inches from Nahuel's throat.

"Not yet, Rose, we need to know more," he insisted.

"That's all _I _need to know," she snarled.

"Rosalie, we're all angry, but the more we know, the better," said Carlisle. He turned to Nahuel again. "Why did they send you?"

He didn't say word.

Jasper twisted his other arm. I heard a pop as his shoulder dislocated. I shuddered.

"He asked you a question."

He said nothing. We turned to my father, who shook his head.

"I can barely hear anything. He has skills of his own," he said darkly.

"He's not going to tell us anything else," said Alice, concentrating. "He's decided."

"We'll just have to change his mind then," said Rosalie, stepping forward with her claws bared.

No one moved to stop her.

"Renesmee can find out," said Jacob suddenly.

Everyone looked over at him.

"How?" said Esme, curious.

"She can see his memories, like she did with me," he explained.

My father looked at Jake closely, listening to his thoughts, looking through his memory, his face forming a vicious smile.

"And she can penetrate any shield…" he said slowly.

"She can see other's memories?" asked Carlisle, surprised. "When did she…?"

"In the forest," said my mother, smiling. "She asked Jake a question and got her answer without him saying a word."

"She read his mind?" asked Alice.

"No," I said. "I just saw his memory."

"Fascinating…" said Carlisle, looking at me in wonder.

"Alrighty then," said Emmett, shoving Nahuel towards me. "Let's get this show on the road."

"NO!" shouted Nahuel, horrified as he tried to twist away from my uncles' grip. They wrestled him to the ground, pinning everything but his head.

"I've got him," said Jasper.

Nahuel stopped twitching, calmness spreading across his unwilling face.

"Renesmee," my father turned to me, "ask him a question."

I grimaced. He was the last person whose mind I wanted to see through. I looked over at Jake, who nodded, grinning. I faintly smiled back and slowly walked towards Nahuel.

"No…" he moaned.

"What don't you want us to see?" I asked him quietly as I bent down and put my hand on his cheek.

My vision blurred. A second later I was standing in what looked like a courtroom. I was looking through Nahuel's eyes, his thoughts defiant. Sitting in front of me was his jury, cold faces with crimson eyes looking back at me, gray cloaks covering their shoulders; the Volturi.


	12. Chapter 12

I remembered every one of them. Their smell, their shape, their murderous glares, everything about them gave me chills.

Aro, Caius and Marcus sat at the center of the table with the woman I had seen in Jake's memory, Renata, standing behind them, touching their backs. To the left were Chelsea and Demetrius. Jane and Alec, looking sinister as ever, sat on the right.

Their unblinking stares were cold and invasive, though I knew it wasn't me they were staring at.

Caius spoke first.

"You honor us with a visit, Nahuel," he said staring intently at him with a small smile. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

Nahuel's fists tightened.

"You know full well why I'm here," he spat, walking forward.

He suddenly came to stop as cry of pain escaped his lips. Nahuel fell to his knees, his body trembling.

"You will speak to him with respect," said Jane smugly.

Aro raised his hand.

"There is no need for such violence," he said, smiling. "He is a guest."

"How _dare _you," said Nahuel through gritted teeth, "Having your spy watch Huilen and I, what was your purpose?"

"We might ask the same of you," said Caius, "seeing as you killed him, our researcher."

"He did not give us the information we requested," said Nahuel.

"We do not divulge information to outsiders," said Caius, "But, I am curious as to why you questioned him instead of immediately disposing of him."

"Aside from the one called Alice that stumbled upon me two years ago, no one is supposed to know where we reside," said Nahuel.

"Yes, Demetrius here has an exceptional ability to find those who don't want to be found," smiled Caius.

"And why did you wish to find me?" asked Nahuel, his eyes narrowed.

"We only wished to observe you, to see your abilities," said Aro calmly, "We wanted to know more about you. Knowledge is power, my friend, and we must be the most powerful."

"Unfortunately, you have slain our informant," said Caius, "So we've lost that knowledge. That is, until you arrived on our doorstep."

"And what makes you think I'm going to give you any information?" asked Nahuel, crossing his arms.

He felt a twitch of annoyance as Jane and Alec laughed. Aro rose from his seat and walked towards Nahuel. Renata kept her hand on his back.

Nahuel's vision became nothing but darkness, he couldn't breathe, couldn't smell, couldn't feel. It was as if his senses had been completely cut off.

_Alec,_ I thought grimly. He was panicked for a moment before his sight slowly returned and he saw Aro grasping his arm.

"I see," said Aro, "You can keep your thoughts silent. Interesting."

"Another shield?" said Jane disgustedly.

"No," said Aro, "It is similar, though. He has the ability to repress his thoughts, to a point where he nearly wipes it from his memory. In essence, he can forget things, like the day his killed his mother and such."

He felt a twinge of pain as his anger and hatred for these monsters grew stronger. Aro released him and went to sit back in his place.

"That'd be useful against Edward Cullen," said Alec, grinning.

"Yes, indeed," agreed Caius.

_So they wish to use me as a pawn against the Cullens. As if I would betray my own kind, _thought Nahuel, remembering an image of my face as a child.

"I wonder," said Aro, "Would you consider joining us, Nahuel?"

"No," he said simply.

The corners of Aro's mouth twitched slightly.

"It is amusing," said Caius slowly, "how you have given us the same response as Joham did."

"What does my _father _have to do with this?" asked Nahuel, narrowing his eyes.

"As per your suggestion two years ago, Demetrius here," Caius looked over at the vampire to his left, "sought out your father and brought to us. He had a brilliant mind to have created the concept of conceiving a half breed such as yourself."

"He _had _a brilliant mind?" repeated Nahuel.

"Ah, yes," said Cauis softly, "He was not as _cooperative _as expected and turned out to be more of an annoyance."

"Is that so?" asked Nahuel, shaking in anger.

"Yes. We did not feel he was beneficial to us any longer. We disposed of him."

I felt Nahuel snap, his vision becoming a red blur. His body acted on his own while his mind took a backseat to animal instincts, lunging towards Caius with his teeth bared, wanting only to rip out his throat so that he would no longer have the ability to speak. I saw Caius, still sitting in his chair, unmoving.

Suddenly, as if something had changed his mind, Nahuel's rage disappeared as he dropped his arms in mid-jump and fell to the ground, confused.

Frustrated, he rose, only to fall to the ground again, cringing in pain. This time, no one moved to stop Jane for a while.

When the agonizing pain had finally stopped, Nahuel shakily got up on his feet.

"Why did I…?"

"We are not fools, to sit idly before you without _protection,"_ said Aro, looking towards Renata. "Though, we do offer the same protection to all who join us."

"Torture me then," he growled. "I have no intention of joining you."

"Perhaps you will think differently when we introduce you to our newest… recruits," said Caius, smiling smugly.

He motioned the guards to open the door. First came two guards who promptly bowed to the vampires sitting at the table, followed by three young women with the same rich, dark brown skin and long black hair as Nahuel, though one them had light brown eyes, another had dark blue and the other had light green. The resemblance between the four was almost impossible to miss.

"I don't believe that introductions are necessary, seeing as you should recognize your own sisters," said Aro lightly.

Nahuel ignored him, having only eyes for his siblings who wore light gray cloaks around their shoulders.


	13. Chapter 13

_Edyn, Aria, Julan, _he thought.

"You've joined them?" he asked incredously.

"Not by choice," said the one with the green eyes, Edyn.

"You are prisoners then?"

"Yes," said Julan, the one with the brown eyes.

"They do not let us leave, nor do they kill us," said Aria disgustedly.

"You see, they serve as protection from Alice Cullen's ability to predict the future," said Aro, smiling. "It seems her gift is limited when it comes to half-breeds such as yourselves."

Julan growled.

"Enough," said Caius impatiently, motioning for the guards to take them away. "We have matters to discuss."

"Release my sisters," said Nahuel flatly.

"We will, in time," said Caius, "but you must do something for us first."

"Concerning the Cullens?" asked Nahuel through gritted teeth.

"You are to do a simple task, and then we shall allow your sisters to leave peacefully," said Aro.

"What is it?"

"Retrieve Renesmee," he said simply.

"Why?"

"To bring Edward and Isabella Cullen to us of course," replied Aro, "If you, Renesmee's only possible mate, were to bring her here, her extraordinarily talented parents would no doubt follow suit. With the Cullens in our ranks, the possibilities are infinite."

"You want me to take her as my mate?"

"Yes, it is an infallible plan."

"She is not even fully grown, it takes seven years to mature."

"A few years are nothing compared to the thousands we shall have afterwards."

"Edward Cullen can read minds," Nahuel continued. "After hearing what I know, I doubt he'd even let me reach the door."

"Your ability would be quite useful in that situation. Use it," said Caius.

"It's not something I am able to use as I please," he said angrily. "I've never had the need to practice it, much less use it continuously."

"Not to worry, friend," said Aro. "I can offer assistance in such matters. Within a year I'm sure you will be able to hide what you wish.

"And if I refuse?"

"Then one of your sisters would pay the price," said Caius.

"I thought they served as protection from Alice Cullen's visions."

"Only one is needed for that purpose," he said smugly. "We only thought you would be more inclined to us if we left them all alive."

Nahuel looked around the room at the numerous cold faces with crimson eyes. None showed any remorse or guilt.

"And," added Aro, "as we said before, we extend protection to those who join us."

He motioned to Renata, whose eyes widened.

"Me?" she asked. "I will not leave you without defenses!"

"Do not worry, I'm not entirely defenseless on my own," smiled Aro as he turned to Nahuel. "Her abilities can protect you as well as herself. You will prevent Alice from seeing her and she will stay out of range of Edward while protecting you from a distance if they decide to attack you."

"Quite a far distance," said Nahuel.

"Do not doubt the range of her powers when she is truly in control. She will serve as the greatest protection."

_And the greatest spy, _thought Nahuel, frustrated. _I can't attack her myself. And even if I tell the Cullens, they won't be able to touch her either and she'll return here and have my sisters killed. _

He strained his brain, trying to find another solution, a loophole. He did not want to stay for another minute, much less a year training with Aro, yet his sisters were in danger. There was no other solution.

He lowered his eyes as Aro gave a thunderous clap of his hands that echoed around the room.

"Then we shall begin."

I felt immense pity for Nahuel. I hated the smug look on Caius' face, the sinister smile on Jane's deceptively angelic face. They felt joy in using family ties to torture people, to make others do their dirty work. My blood boiled. I needed to make them feel pain, to kill them. If only this wasn't a memory, if only I could just…

My vision blurred as I felt a hot and cold sensation.

"Renesmee, that's enough, stop," I heard my dad say.

I looked up to see who had cut off my connection and saw my father and Jacob both pulling my arm away from Nahuel, who was staring at me intently.

"Are you alright?" dad asked.

"I'm fine, why'd you stop me?" I demanded, my temper still rising.

"That was enough."

"There was more, let go," I snapped, squirming.

"Let her go," said Jake to my father, wrapping his warm arms around me. "Are you okay?" he asked with the same worried look.

"I'm fine," I repeated as his warmth spread around me.

The annoyance I had been feeling slowly began to fade. I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

"Sorry," I said to my father. "That was just...really disturbing to watch. What happened?"

"You were kneeling there for a long time," said Alice. "At first Edward said you were okay, but then you got this really scary look on your face."

"But it was more of a murderous glare than a scary look if you ask me," said Emmett.

"What did you see?" asked my mother.

Seeing as I was clearly unwilling to repeat the scene, my father recounted the memory to everyone.

"That's why Aro sent Renata," said Carlisle. "She would be the only one who could escape alive if discovered."

My dad nodded.

"My guess is that she was ordered to stay until Nahuel was caught. I don't think she ever had any intention of protecting him. What's worse is that they're holding his sisters hostage and using them to hinder Alice's visions."

"How did they even know what she can and can't see?" asked my mother.

"When Aro looked through my thoughts two years ago. He received more than enough information," he replied.

"I suppose we can let him go then," said Jasper.

Nahuel hadn't said a word.

"He'll just run away. I say we disable him," said Rosalie hopefully.

"No, he's not going anywhere," said my dad. "There's nowhere to turn but to us now."

Nahuel rose, his eyes blank.

"Are they going to kill my sisters?" he asked Alice.

She gave him a sympathetic look.

"I can't really tell, but they look like they'll be safe for now," she said uncertainly. "But I can at least see that they are coming here."

"Yes, they'll try to prevent Alice's visions for as long as possible," said Carlisle.

"So we're going to fight?" asked Emmett.

"It's not like we can run," said Rosalie. "Demetri would find us in a second."

"It looks that way. And we do not have the time to call everyone here again," said Carlisle.

"We can try to get some at least," said Jasper. "The Denali coven is within distance."

"If we run fast, Jasper and I can maybe find Peter and Charlotte," said Alice. "But that's all we can manage in time. Everyone else is too far off."

"I'll call Sam and the others," said Jake.

"I will fight as well," said Nahuel stiffly.

"What about Renesmee?" asked my mother.

"What about me?" I said, "I'm going to stay here and fight."

"No," said my father and Jake at the same time.

"Why?" I demanded.

"You're the one they want. Besides, you can't fight like we can," said Esme. "We fight to kill."

"Mom can't either," I pouted.

I was acting like a kid and I knew it, but I wanted to stay. I couldn't just sit by and wait to see who survived.

"Bella's shield provides an even playing field," said Jasper.

"And who's going to protect Bella while she's shielding all of you?" asked Jake.

"I will," said my father.

"As much as I don't want to say it, you're one of the strongest, you need to be out there, fighting the big ones," said Jake. "Renesmee and I can stay with Bella."

"Absolutely not," said my mother angrily. "What do you think you're saying? She could be killed."

"Come on Bells, you know I won't let anything happen to her. And you know Nessie; she'll probably find a way to come anyways. At least this way I can keep an eye on her."

I tried to hide a smile. Jake knew me too well.

"Fine," said my father finally. "Alice, Jasper, go find the others. Jacob, go find Sam. The rest of us will have to prepare."

They all nodded and ran in separate directions.

"I can be of assistance," said Nahuel. "I've trained with Aro, I've figured out how he works."

"That will be useful," agreed Carlisle.

"How do we know we can trust him?" said Rosalie ruefully.

"As long as I am promised the safety of my siblings, I can assure you that I am on your side alone," said Nahuel.

"We cannot promise that, but we will do our best," said Carlisle, extending his hand.

Nahuel nodded and they shook hands. Everyone seemed satisfied with that and headed back into the house.

"Renesmee," said Nahuel, catching me before I went inside. "May I have a word?"

"Um, sure," I said uncertainly.

He waited for everyone to leave before taking a deep breath.

"I want you to know that my proposal was truthful, along with anything I've told you. If this ends well, I would like you to become my wife."

I twitched uncomfortably.

"Thanks, I'll, uh, get back to you on that," I muttered.

He leaned down to kiss my hand as I resisted the urge to shudder at his touch.

"Until the future brings us together," he said before walking back into the house.


	14. Chapter 14

I stared out the glass doors waiting for Jake to come back, anxiety gripping me firmly. What if he were to be attacked? What if Renata wasn't the only one hiding in the trees? I barely managed to hear what everyone else was saying.

"They're going to use our attack on Nahuel as a final act of violence against the Volturi. This was their plan all along, why they wanted you to join them," said my dad.

"So they did not think I would succeed," sniffed Nahuel, who, despite my efforts to get as far away from him as possible, was sitting next to me.

"Of course not," said my father. "And they will not bother coming with witnesses this time. It'll just be them and the guard."

"Indeed," agreed Carlisle. "They won't run the risk of exposing their true agenda."

"Which means they won't leave survivors," said Nahuel.

"Like that's a surprise," snorted Emmett.

"Either way, we'll be pretty evenly matched, I'm sure the Denali will be willing to fight with us," said Rosalie.

"And the werewolves," added Esme.

"And assuming that my sisters won't be killed in front of me, they will fight as well," said Nahuel.

"I think they will bring the four of you closer so that Chelsea can try to sever your bonds completely," said Carlisle. "Bella, you have to have your shield up before this happens."

My mom nodded.

"The wolves and the Denali can deal with the guard. Ed and Rose can take Jane and Alec," said Emmett. "Nahuel, you try to get your sisters together and help take out the guard. Jazz and I will go straight for Demetri. Then, worst case scenario, the rest of us can go into hiding."

"That depends if he will actually be fighting," said my dad. "I'm sure they'll be anticipating this and have Demetri well protected, if they bring him at all."

"They won't be force him to stay," said Nahuel. "He doesn't like it very much and it would be unnecessary and unpleasant to bore him."

"And Renata?" asked my mom. "We won't be able to touch her, or Aro."

"We'll have to assume that Aro won't be fighting much, he can be left for last," said Nahuel. "He does not like to dirty his hands. The three of them will most likely send in the underlings and watch."

"That doesn't mean they won't interfere. We cannot leave them any openings to attack us while our backs are turned, especially with Caius," said Carlisle.

"I'm sure Tanya, Carmen and Kate will deal with him when the time comes," said my father icily. "And since the wolves, Nahuel, his sisters and Renesmee will be there, I don't see Alice having any clear visions of the outcome.

"So? We might be a little disadvantaged by that, but they're the ones with the handicap since we've got the ultimate shield here,"Emmett nodded towards my mother.

"Yes, we'll be safe from Jane, Alec and Chelsea's abilities as long as Bella is there, though she and Renesmee will have to be at a distance," said my dad.

I frowned, catching up to the conversation.

"I'm not leaving," I said stubbornly.

"And I have to be closer, it'll be easier that way and I can keep an eye on everyone," said my mother fiercely.

"And who will watch you so carefully Bella?" asked my father, stroking her long black hair gently. "The mutt was right, I won't be able to protect you that well and you have made it impossible for them to _not _kill you. And if they find Renesmee, they'll take her."

"I'm not helpless Edward, we can take care of ourselves," she puffed. "She and I can almost take down Emmett now."

"It's true," grinned Emmett, putting patting me on the back.

"It'll be fine, Jacob and Alice will stay by Bella and Nessie," added Rosalie.

"Like I said before, her visions will be very limited," said my father, frustrated.

"Yes, but she'll at least be able to see will be the short term choices, if one of the guard were to attack one of them from behind and such," said Carlisle.

"See? We'll be fine," said my mother.

My dad sighed and reached his hand out to caress her cheek and kissed her gently.

"You do realize that if you still had that ridiculous string of bad luck you had when you were human, I'd never agree."

Despite the heavy atmosphere, everyone but Nahuel and I chuckled.

"Oh, shut up," she snapped. My father gave her an apologetic smile, and then turned to me.

"Jacob," he said. I blushed slightly. He'd been listening to my worried thoughts the entire time.

I got up quickly to open the sliding glass door and we all came outside as Jake and Sam ran up to us in their human forms. The smell was too much for either side to handle in an enclosed space at the moment. I looked at Jake, expecting his warm smile again. He quickly looked away.

"Leah and Seth are filling everyone else in," said Jake, still not looking at me.

"And I will give my pack the rest of the information later," finished Sam. "We need to get rid of these Italian vampires once and for all."

"Let's get the rest of your pack here for some brushing up on 'how to kill a bloodsucker' then," said Emmett. "These guys are gonna be stronger than the newborns you fought before."

"We killed that dark haired bloodsucker, didn't we?" said Jake. Emmett snorted.

"Laurent? There was about four of you on him after you surprised him. These guys are expecting you and they've got skills."

"That's fine," said Sam before Jacob could retort. "They're in the forest, waiting for me."

"I'll get them," said Jake.

"I'll go too," I said.

"No," he said quickly, not making eye contact with me. "It's fine, I'll be right back." He swiftly turned and ran into the trees. I raised my eyebrow at my father, who shrugged.

"We'll start immediately," said Sam.

"Alright," grinned Emmett.

"Like we said before, Sam," said Carlisle. "We do not wish to endanger you and your pack. We don't have the numbers that we did before and there is a strong chance you will lose many."

"Like _we _have said before, it is our duty to destroy those that endanger humans," he said firmly. "We were born to fight them."

"Then we are grateful for your assistance," replied Carlisle, stepping forward and extending his hand. They shook.

I looked over at my dad, the corners of his mouth were twitching.

"What?" I asked quietly.

"Lions and wolves coming together again, it's very…poetic," he chuckled.

I rolled my eyes. He had the strangest sense of humor.


	15. Chapter 15

Jake came back with about twenty of the other giant wolves and my dad, Nahuel, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett and Rosalie took them to an open field while Jake stayed to talk to my mom for a bit as I stood nearby to watch Emmett and my dad.

It was funny to watch my uncle, who would seem like the obvious winner because of his bigger frame and strength, being easily avoided as his thoughts gave him away at the last second.

"Of course it's fair," said my dad, amused by an unheard thought . "Your strength is as much as an advantage as my ability."

"Right," grunted Emmett as he aimed a blow to his ribs that my father easily dodged.

"Now, the guard's job is usually to quickly sweep in and dismember quickly, as you saw with Irina, so it may be us who have a harder time as they haven't had as much experience with you," explained my father. "As with the newborns, it would be best to attack them from the side, but they won't be easier once they catch on to what you're doing and they're more organized."

"You also have to be aware of Caius, he's fought with one of you before and he nearly lost, but he'll have given them a general idea of what to do," added Carlisle.

"Did Aro mention any tactics against the wolves?" Rosalie asked Nahuel.

"No, we focused only on my ability the majority the time," he replied.

"And they wouldn't want to say that they're actually being worried about them posing a threat," said Emmett. "Now come on, who wants a round with me?

I don't know when I stopped listening to them and started watching Jake but before I knew it I was staring longingly at the giant dark figure next to my mother. It wasn't the Jake that was always near me, the one that had always been my best friend. I felt like this Jacob was desperately trying to leave me, to create a distance.

Now that his imprint was gone, did he not feel the need to be friends with me anymore? I never tried to imagine my life without him, and even now I could hardly bear to think about it. Aside from my family, he was the only other constant in my life. My own body, my mind up until now would not stay the same for long due to my rapid growth, yet ever since I was born he was the same, never changing, and always there for me. Even with Grandpa Charlie and Billy, they were different every time I saw them, growing older, not significantly, but unmistakably.

I put my hand over my chest, feeling the quick beats. He had the same heartbeat, only slower, and the rhythm would intertwine my own, the sound beautiful to my ears. His had been the only other heartbeat I heard when I was born, aside from my mother's fragile one. From the moment I caught sight of him, I found him extremely intriguing. When I touched his arm it was warm and comforting, unlike the slight chill when Rosalie held me, and the beating of his heart calmed me when he first held me against his chest.

I flinched as I felt warm fur brush my arm and saw Seth beside me, his head tilted to the side, curious.

"What?" I asked, touching his face.

I inhaled deeply as I saw myself through his eyes. I was standing there, gazing in Jake's direction as a look I had never seen slowly crept onto my pale face. The pain, the anguish, it was all embarrassingly apparent to him as he felt a surge of affection and worry. I smiled a bit. I had assumed that it was either because of my ability or my dad that people knew when I was upset, but apparently my face was an open book too.

"I'm fine," I said, hugging him tightly. It was obvious why he and my father were such good friends; they had the same kind of thoughts, selflessness and concern for those around them. He was always like another part of the family. His lips curved downward into what looked like a frown before turning away to watch Emmett wrestling Collin and Brady. Sam and they others watched them carefully; I guess old habits die hard, seeing as vampires and werewolves were normally sworn enemies.

This continued for a while before my eyes began to droop as the sun came up again. I hadn't slept in a few days and though I didn't necessarily _need_ to sleep every day, a couple hours once in a while felt good.

"I don't know why they came, Sam's not eager to let them fight at such a young age," said my dad.

I nodded, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Go to sleep, Renesmee," he chuckled.

I groaned. I had forgotten who I was talking to.

"No, I want to be here," I said stubbornly.

"He's not going to change in the two hours that you're gone."

"That's none of your business."

"If it affects your health, then it is certainly my business," he said sternly.

I was silent. He sighed.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" I asked.

"It _is _none of my business."

"You know, your mood swings are going to give me whiplash," I said sourly.

I hated when he didn't give me a chance to argue with him, it was maddening, I didn't know how my mother put up with it.

"If you were looking for some confrontation, pick a fight with Emmett," he suggested, giving me a crooked smile.

_Or Jacob,_ I thought, watching smugly as my father's smile suddenly dropped. His lips twitched for half a second as though he wanted to say something, but instead stroked my hair.

"Get some sleep soon," he said gently before walking towards my mother. "You'll want to be fully prepared when the time comes."

Once again he was right, I did need to rest. I curled up on the couch in the living room, bringing my legs to my chest.

Five days was all we had to prepare for anything to happen and I wasn't quite sure if I would be ready when I woke up.

* * *

Feel free to look back on the previous chapters anytime, I've made slight revisions to try to make the story better. I'll be doing this frequently because it is important to improve your writing whenever you can, so feel free to review, I'd love to hear your opinions!


	16. Chapter 16

Some time later I opened my eyes, startled by both the darkness and the silence. I was in bed, surrounded by at least a half dozen of my favorite soft, fluffy pillows. Someone had carried me upstairs while I was sleeping. I heard voices coming from outside; my mother and Jake were talking, but stopped abruptly as I stirred. I lay very still and began breathing in a soft, even rhythm.

**JACOB**

After I got bored listening to the bloodsuckers' 'How to Kill a Vampire' speech I slipped back inside the house to see if Nessie had finally gone to sleep. She was passed out on the couch, curled up into a ball. I reached over and gently pulled back some of the bronze hair. As I brushed her face I realized that her lips were moving, though barely any sounds escaped. I listened closely, startled as I heard my name.

"Jacob," she murmured, "Jake, come back."

Where am I goin? I thought skeptically. I wondered how long she'd been talking in her sleep and how that idiot dad of hers probably didn't realize that she'd have the same sleeping problems that Bella used to have. I slowly put my arms under her and lifted her up. She'd probably sleep better on her bed; that thing was stacked with those crazy fluffy pillows she liked. I walked up the stairs slowly, enjoying that familiar warmth I hadn't felt for a while. I hesitated when I reached her room. I wasn't tired. I could just stand there and hold her until she woke up. But then again, if she woke up… I sighed setting her on the bed and walking back down the stairs. Bella was sitting at the kitchen table, her head resting in her hand, as still as a marble statue. I'd never get used to this part of "the change". The Bella I remembered was clumsy and blushed easily while this Bella was all graceful and a little cocky sometimes.

"Jake, you're going to have to talk to her sometime," she said pointedly.

"You know I can't. I can't go near her right now," I said, listening to her steady breathing.

"You carried her upstairs," she said, a hint of a smile in her voice.

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do, and I think it's stupid. You should have waited like I told you to, then this wouldn't be much of an issue," she said sharply.

"Hey Bells, did you know '_I told you so'_ has a brother? His name's '_shut the hell up_.'"

"Don't get smart with me."

"Yes mom."

I turned my head quickly as I heard Nessie shift upstairs. A moment later I heard her breathing in a rhythm again.

"I think she just turned in her sleep," said Bella. She'd been listening too.

"Good," I breathed a small sigh of relief. "She talks in her sleep you know, like you used to."

"Really?"

"Yeah, kept saying stuff like 'Jake, Jacob.' Kinda gave me déjà vu actually," I laughed as she narrowed her eyes, remembering that night in the tent that I had once called one of the best nights of my life. Now it didn't even make top ten. "What's that about anyways?"

"What, the thing with calling your name? Probably the same as me, I was trying to distinguish your mood swings. 'Jake' would probably be the Jacob that was fun and happy and 'Jacob' would be the one that ignores her."

"Is that what that was? I actually had a different interpretation way back then, but whatever," I teased. The was no familiar rush of blood to her cheeks, instead she smacked me in the arm. I heard a small cracking noise. I wasn't worried though, it was probably already healing.

"Seriously though, how long did you think the '_I don't have an imprint on you anymore'_ act would work?"

"I can't believe he told you," I muttered. That damn leech would give her anything she wanted.

"Edward didn't tell me, I can hear a lot better now remember? And I'm not dumb; if it could be removed you would've done it a long time ago."

"Are you gonna tell her?"

"No, it's not my job. You do it," she snapped.

"It'd never work out."

"You can't know that."

"I thought you were against this, I was kinda depending on you talking me out of it."

"It's payback for coming up with that stupid idea to have her come with us when we're fighting the most dangerous vampires in creation."

"Yeah, yeah. You know that if you told her not to come, she'd find a way to sneak over and get herself in some kind of trouble. I need to be able to protect her myself."

"You really care, don't you," she said gently. It was more of a statement than a question.

"I love her Bells," I said quietly. "I _need _to be near her, all the time, every minute."

It tore me up just thinking about it. The overwhelming pull that brought me to her doorstep every day, the unconscious determination to try and make her smile and, of course, that desire to hold her so close so her warmth would never fade. I remembered making fun of Quil and Paul for these same thoughts they had had running through their heads, now I felt like a giant idiot.

"Why are you so afraid of letting her touch you?" she demanded.

"I think about her all the time. If she sees all my memories of her, if she knew how…intense…I felt about her… I don't think she'd be able to take it all in. She'd shut me out, like she did when she found out about the imprint."

"You're afraid you might scare her away."

"And that Seth might not like me as much."

"When's he going to get over that crush? Edward's gonna go nuts if he keeps hearing so many hormonal thoughts directed towards Nessie."

"He can't help liking her, and he definitely feels bad about it."

"And you're not jealous," she said. Another statement rather than a question.

Course I was, but I wasn't worried. First of all, Seth just wasn't that type of person. Secondly, there had to be some sort of wolf law that said that you couldn't try to take your alpha's girl. Besides, none of it would matter once she married that teal-eyed freak.

"She's not going to marry Nahuel, you know."

"I thought you couldn't read minds."

"No. I just figured that you'd be stupid and want her to be happy with someone more like her."

Leave it to Bella to be annoyingly observant.

"It makes sense."

"No, it doesn't."

"What's wrong with wanting her to be happy?"

"What's wrong is that you could end up being wrong and she'll end up miserable and start doing things like buying a motorcycle or cliff-diving."

For the first time in a while, I was stunned into silence. She hardly ever mentioned that time in her human life.

"Bella…" I started

"Look," she snapped, "You're the one who practically got on your knees to make me to accept your damn imprint and you're the one who kept telling me that it happens because it pointed you to exactly who you were supposed to spend the rest of your life with, your soul mate or whatever. So if you're telling me that you're going to be a pansy and toss that all out of the window because she freaked out a little when she found out about it, you don't deserve my daughter."

She gracefully jumped out of her chair and walked right out of the room without even tripping over the rolled up blanket on the floor.

*****

FINALLY able to post another chapter, tell me what you think, thanks! =]


End file.
